New On DVD – October 6, 2009
Posted October 6, 2009 12:01 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Trick ‘r Treat (Blu-ray) CityNews.ca Pick of the Week – Trick ‘r Treat has quickly become my new favourite movie for the Halloween season. It’s a fun horror anthology that tells four stories based around Halloween lore (stuff like: don’t let your Jack O’Lantern go dark, check your candy before eating it, plus a good old fashioned urban legend and a werewolf tale). All the stories are tied together by a little demonic boy in a creepy costume named Sam (I feel we’ll see him in more films of this nature). Starring Anna Paquin, Brian Cox and Dylan Baker in perfect roles, produced by Bryan Singer and directed by Michael Dougherty (who co-wrote X2 and Superman Returns) this is not some cheap B-movie. It is quite stylized and really gets the vibe of Halloween across on-screen. If you’re a fan of movies like Creepshow or Tales from the Darkside you will love this. The Blu-ray release is definitely worth picking up not only for the amazing picture and sound but the special features include the short animated film Season’s Greetings that Dougherty made with the character of Sam, the featurette The Lore and Legends of Halloween (narrated by Brian Cox), behind the scenes footage, additional scenes and a digital copy of the movie. Film **** out of 5 stars. Blu-ray **** out of 5 stars.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Diamond Edition (Blu-ray) – Maybe this is because of the source material but I am not as impressed with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs on Blu-ray as I was with Pinocchio. The restored picture doesn’t wow me as much as I had hoped and besides the new 7.1 surround sound I don’t see a need to upgrade from the previous DVD releases. I’ve never been a big fan of the film though and although I praise it for what it did for animation I always have a hard time watching it all the way through. For fans I’m sure the features in the set will make up for it. These include DisneyView (which allows you to watch the film on a widescreen TV with art displayed on the left and right instead of black bars), audio commentary with Walt Disney, a virtual Hyperion Studios tour, games, a featurette on how the film changed Hollywood, a regular DVD version plus a lot more. Film *** out of 5 stars. Blu-ray *** out of 5 stars.
The Brothers Bloom – Mark Ruffalo and Adrien Brody play con-men brothers Stephen and Bloom. When they attempt to con Penelope Stamp (Rachel Weisz) – a single, rich woman who collects hobbies – an adventure bigger than they imagined unfolds. I found the film to be long and tedious and besides Weisz holding my interest (she is wonderful as Penelope) I almost turned it off many times. I’d skip the DVD and wait until this hits cable. Special features include commentary with director Rian Johnson, behind the scenes featurette, deleted scenes and an image gallery. Also available on Blu-ray. Film ** out of 5 stars. DVD ** out of 5 stars.
Year One – Although there are some funny moments from Jack Black and Michael Cera Year One is a big mess of a movie that is not worth the plastic the DVD is encoded on. When you think it can’t get worse it does. Special features include theatrical and unrated versions of the film, deleted scenes, a making-of featurette and commentary with director Harold Ramis, Black and Cera. Also available on Blu-ray. Film * out of 5 stars. DVD * out of 5 stars.
My Fair Lady – Why this is being re-released on a single disc DVD for the 45th Anniversary and not on Blu-ray is a stunner. My Fair Lady is one of the greatest movies ever made (and one of the few musicals I can stomach). It’s also one of Audrey Hepburn’s best films (although Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Wait Until Dark are better). Paramount should have realized the impact this has had on the history of cinema and remastered it properly IN high-definition with an amazing set of features instead of doing a cheap release that is just a money grab. The features on the disc don’t even compare to the previous 2-Disc Special Edition that Warner Home Video put out a few years back (Paramount now owns the rights to the film as the license expired). Don’t support this disc and let Paramount know you want them to put some care into a true 45th Anniversary release. Special features include commentary, vintage featurettes, a radio interview with Rex Harrison and alternate Audrey Hepburn vocals. Film **** out of 5 stars. DVD * out of 5 stars.
More New Releases this week: Ally McBeal: The Complete Series, Anvil: The Story of Anvil, Karloff & Lugosi Horror Classics, Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins, Audition (Blu-ray)
brian.mckechnie@citynews.rogers.com
Top image: Scene from Trick ‘r Treat. Courtesy Warner Home Video.
